Staying Cool and Trendy

 I bet a girl that would read that title would roll her eyes and say, "I'm not actually trying to stay cool and trendy, that's ridiculous!" Sure, I'll take your word for it. But tell me, have you ever actually thought about what those two words mean? What's wrong about them anyway?

Figuring Out Belonging

Adolescence is that terribly hormonal time where kids have to take on some responsibility and turn into adults. Teens become independent, whether that be getting a job or simply taking on more household chores. So, what's the first priority in our lives? We are starting to get the reins on how to function without our parents, and what's the main thing we steer towards?

    Belonging in a social group. 

    Okay, this is just my experience, so maybe there are a couple of you out there who disagree. However, I know from the people around me (and myself) that teens spend all their time striving to connect with friends and form romantic relationships. We feel as though we need to fit into what's socially expected, like being funny, attractive, or saying certain slang, or maybe wearing certain things.

    "You are trying to find out who you are in high school." Okay, that phrase is pretty much baloney. Whether it is purposeful or subconscious, I promise the majority of teens are doing the opposite. We are trying to find out how to be an average, proper human, or in other words, "cool". 

Cool

Cool should be a positive word, right? I bet you've said "That's so cool!" as a compliment before. Let's go back to the question I asked at the beginning of this post- have you ever thought about what cool means?

    It means to fit in, to be liked, or basically what everyone agrees is "approved".

    

    What about holy? It means to be set apart.

    Yet, those two definitions seem to be completely different. Though cool may seem like a positive word, it's actually in direct opposition to what God has commanded us to be. Holiness can also be described as pure and different from worldly expectations, so we as teenagers shouldn't try to be cool. Being cool quite literally is pleasing man, while being holy is pleasing God. 

    If you still don't see the problem, I can give an example:

    Everyone around you is dancing, smiling, and enjoying prom. Most of the girls are wearing sparkly, revealing dresses that show off their figure. You know your gal friends all got hundreds of compliments, and everyone generally gives them attention. The music was loud and a little explicit, but at least everyone else was enjoying it.

    You suddenly get a little awkward, and walk over to the snack table. You still love your long, frilly dress, but you just don't feel cool. You don't feel loved by your peers, you just feel out of place. It hurt, making you sad, angry, confused, etc, and you wish you could just act like everyone else. What's going on?

    Well, that whole scene can become a worldly approval situation- and don't be confused, I fell into this freshman year. Dancing to inappropriate music, attention from everyone because of outwardly beauty, and having a "good time" with people your age. It all seems fun, yet under it is hurting not only yourself but also God. Dancing is good, music is good, beauty, validation, and fellowship is all good. But the moment it becomes prideful, or an idol, it can go south very quickly. 

    That little example was showing how it can hurt when you don't please man, and that's okay. It's ingrained in us to be social and figure out how to be normal. However, we need to give that hurt to God. God sees the big picture, and He knows what is better for us. Sexual music can lead us to temptation, immodesty makes it easy to become objectified, and approval of man is so very fragile. How man determines beauty and status could wash away in any moment, or shift with emotion. 

    God sees our heart, and He doesn't need us to fit into a mold that pleases others.

    

    Ultimately, when we try to become holy in the way described in the Bible, we glorify God and receive joy. Joy is something that lasts and is content. If we try to become what "cool" is in any given moment, we might be happy. Yet happiness is fleeting, and we would always be chasing for something that wouldn't benefit us nor God.

#61 on Trending (US Billboard Hot 100)

Back in April, a very special song hit high on charts. It's called YOUR WAYS BETTER by Forrest Frank, and it was written to help people look to God's plan. Isn't it crazy that a Christian song could become that popular? It was a big trend on social media too, as there was a dance that went along with the chorus. Praise God that so many people could hear an upbeat, captivated song about Jesus!

    Yet it was a trend, which means by now, you would never see it scrolling on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram. So where on earth did it disappear to? It was so popular, and now it's nowhere near the Hot 100. That being said, many Christians still listen to it, and you should too!

    Well, that's how trends work. Something new and exciting gets all the attention, and everyone is expected to know it (or listen to it, or wear it, or say it, depending on the thing), and then it vanishes either out of boredom or annoyance. 

    Trends could be anything like a joke online, a type of clothing from a popular brand, or it could be a bit longer-lasting trend, like parting your hair in the middle, which started being "in" again around 2021. Keeping up with whatever is viral can be pretty time consuming, and often, it drains wallets too. That's another thing that encourages trend mindsets; it encourages constant, unnecessary spending. 

    Here's the big problem; Trends take up time and attention, distracting us from God. 

    Sometimes spiritual warfare is scary to think about, but demons do effect the world around us. Trends that keep us occupied are definitely a tactic to keep us from God and His plan, so we must be aware enough to reject trends.

    It might be harmless to buy the popular Stanley cup, or to use funny slang (Like, 6-7 times a day (That's a reference for those who were confused, it's not actual advice haha)), but because we are young and easily influenced, try to avoid it. If we immediately follow every single trend we see, it could quickly become an idol.

    Another thing that is dangerous about some trends is that there could be inappropriate meaning behind it. Culture in our world has become extremely sexualized, so some things that seem innocent could have a very wrong purpose. 

    Be very careful when listening to new songs, as lyrics can wedge themselves into our heads very easily. Once something is stuck in your head, it can be very hard to forget. A good method is if reading the lyrics out loud in front of your parents would make you uncomfortable, it probably is a bad song to be listening to. 

Holiness

Okay, so, if we steer clear from staying cool and trendy, that gives us more time to focus on holiness. Luckily, we have an incredible influence; the Bible. It teaches us how God designed humans, and how we can be set apart from fleshy things. We should be noticeably different from how we naturally want to act, or how others expect us to act.

    For example, while it is common to swear, Christians should focus on holding their tongue and speaking kinder words. 

   While holiness is an incredible thing to strive towards, it doesn't make you "better" than others. It's easy to view yourself as perfect or higher than those who "are still sinners", but that couldn't be further from the truth. We still sin just as much as the next, so remain humble. In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus talks about how it isn't our job to look down on others because all have sinned. 

    

    All sin is denying God. Some might seem worse, but we can't work in our own power to become any better just because we aren't doing the "big" sins. The only way we can improve is by relying on the Holy Spirit to convict and strengthen us.

    Others sin also might not be conscious; it is very normalized to commit a multitude of sins. Maybe you know a girl who seems like she would never turn to God. Still, remember to care for others and speak the truth in love. Form relationships and put others first, even if they are actively sinning. Teach them about who God is, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. 

Final Words

Woah that was a big blog post! I tried to cover a lot of ground, so I apologize if I didn't give some sections enough attention.

    Just know that God comes first, and He should take up your attention. Whatever is viral in the moment will very quickly fade away, so don't waste your time on something temporary.

    Thank you so so much for reading the blog post, I hope to be posting often during the school year, but no promises haha! Please pray for me so that God can give me guidance as I navigate witnessing to my peers at school.

    I kindly ask that you sign up to the email notifications list so that you can see whenever I upload a new blog post, you can do so off to the left by simply typing in your email address and clicking "Subscribe". And if you have some (I would say no younger than middle school due to some mature concepts) Christians gal friends, please share the blog with them! I would love to reach as many people as I can!

    Have a lovely rest of your day, God bless! 

    - Acadia Thimlar :)